Machine for plucking the feathers of birds.



R. G. NIACPHERSON.

Yateuted June 26, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

MACHNE FOR PLUCKING THE FEATHERS 0F BIR'DS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26,1916.

m fm.

LQLQL R. MACPHERSON.

MACHINE FOR PLUCKINGTHE FEATHERS 0F BIRDS. APPLlcATloN HLED sEPT.26.1916.

LQMAL 12116111911 June 26, 11111.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, I9I6.

LQSIAL R. G. IVICPHERSON. MACHINE FOR PLUCKING'THE FEATHERS 0F BIRDS.

'Patented June 26,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

vR. G. MACPHERSON.

MACHINE FORPLUCKING THE FEATHERS OF BIRDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26,1916.

Patented J une 26, 1917.

A 4 SHEE S-SHE T4,

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.or Leens, maman.'

Learner.

Iy I v Specification of-Lettefs Patent.

Patented aan@ se, iai 'a a Appiiction inea september ze; 191s. serial N. 122,237.

Toall whom z't may concern?v Be it known that I, REGINALD GEoRGE AcPHERsoN, railway o'licer, a subject of lthe Kingof vGreat Britain, residing at 21 Airlie avenue, Leeds, in the county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Machine 'for Feathers of Birds, `andof which .the following is a specification.

of this invention is to proi Vide machine for plucking the feathers *of bir s, such as'poultry, by which machine the feathers can be removed quickly and eliciently and hand labor thereby obviated l or economized, r y

The machine according to this invention vcomprises a tray, open at the base and having preferably inclined sides, into which tray the birds to' be plucked are placed, the

opening at the base of the tray being of such width v thatthe bodies .of thebirds cannot v pass'through, while meansare preferably ,provided'whereby the bodies of the"birds in the tray are intermittently changed in'V base l opening.

1n relation `to Ithe Means are also provided by which .the tray. is given longitudinal reci Beneath the reciprocating tray islocated va mechanically-operated plucking device comprising an open-'ended tubular member, pivoted to which 1 Y .ing gripping' edge'beingvpposedmtheerip? -fping edge of the wall of the tubular member,

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the lower-end of the tubular member beingflexibly 'connected vice. :Mechanical with Aan air'siiction de# feathers are .drawn into the plucking device by the suction' fof'. the air, the gripping jaw procating motions.

means are provided where- 'its' upperr end tyvo `grooved lcradle with an a gripping jaw, its act- I by bearings in the standards 2 and' vice, and Fig. 5 isan elevation of a ltappet rod detached. .s e

Mounted 'upon the top of a base box 1,v hereafter referred to, are fixed two pairs of standards 2 and 3, and also mounted upon 6o lsaid box l isa fth standard Ll. Each of the standards 2 and 3 carries "at wheels 5 one above the other, yand between these wheels parallel side rods'6forming the longitue5 dinal members at the base of a tray for carrying the bodies ofthe birds, arev free to travel, saidY tray -consisting o`f said rods 6 connected atv their ends by ,-upstanding end franges 7. The end frames .7 in conjunction 70 with links 8 support 'twol pairs of parallel Vlongitudinal revoluble rollers 9 which extend frame to the other, and endless bands 10, located .at distances apart, extend around the pair of `rolle1s9W on one-75 side of the tray, andothersimilar bends 10 extend around the pair ofrollers on the otherbside of the ltray. The parallel lower lrollers 9 ,at the base of the tray are at such a distance apart that thebodies ofthe birds 8O placed in the trayso formed/willnot pass through between such lower rollers, While theuppersrollers 9 are ata greater distance apart so that the tray consists `of a kind of open base to receive thev bodies ofthe birds. n

Y-, x JA.inai-r-drivingY shaft 1'1A driven' through pulleys 12 from anysource of power extends carried 4. tray to travel backtransversely of the machine andl is n order to cause the ward and forward it is connected y a link .13, F"

1g-1, to theupper end f an arm 14 pivoted on theV base'box 1, and a connecting rod 1-5 extends from the arm Mato a crank 95 then closing Yupon'. the feathers, and pluck, 6 on a shaft17 carried in bearings from the accompanying drawings, .f #-,whereon Figure 1 V is a side elevation, Fig-2 aright-h'and'end view of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 "a planview with .the tray removed. Fig. 4t

is a sectional elevationq .corresponding to 55 Fig. 1, to better illustrate' the .plucking d e- -will be described with," refmeans of 'being driven by a belt connectionconnecting 10e of the tray 1n one tandards 3; the shaft 17 Vis driven by worm gearing 18 through bevel gearing 19 by a shaft 20`, Fig..3, the shaft 20M pulleys2l on the shaft 20 with pulleys22 `on The bodies of the birds inthe tray are supported on the endless bands 110 with their lower portions protruding downwardly 1,05 between the lower rollers 9' ofthe tray, and inorder to changethe position of the bodies ofthe birds at the terminationof the travel direction, the rollers 9 receive fthe necessary angular motion by 1l@ means of a tappet action. To this end, as spring on the bolt 42, and thereby the frame shown at Fig. 2, the twp lower rollers 9 are is self-adjusting in height to suit. the birds connected by means of sprocket wheels and carried in the tray. That is to say, the

an endless chain 9", and on one end of one bodies ot' the birds in the tray extend downof these rollers is a ratchet gear23 operated ward between the lower rollers 9 of the tray 70 by a twoarmed lever 24 piroted on the end and bear upon the cross bars 31 of the frame, frame 7 of the tray, one arm of said lever and owing to the frame being resiliently being connected by a link to the ratchet gear held in position by the spring on the -bolt 23, while the other arm is operated at the 42, the cross bars 31 can adjust themselves 19 end of the travel of -the tray by a tappet to the body of the bird. 75 rod 2 5, shown by dotted lines atFig. 1, and Pivoted at 43 between the sides of the more clearly illustrated by the detached tubular member 32 iS a. jaw 44, clearly detail view at Fig. 5. The rod 25 is carried shown at Fig. 4, and when-closed with its so as to be free to slide cndwise from brackupper gripping end in contact with the upets projecting Jfrom'the bar G oi" the cradle, per edge of Athe tubular member 32,- as 8o as shown at Fig. 2, and extends through a shown at Fig. 4, it closes the mouth of the 111g 26 Fig 5 0H 011C 0f the StlUCllI'dS 2, ilml said tubular member, This jaw 44 is oper-h stop pieces 27 are fixed on the rod to conated at proper times by a bell crank lever tact With the iXed lug 2G- Tlie lOCl 25 lllS 45, Fig. l, fulcrumed on the downward exa head 2S Jformed with opposite inClines, ,tension 41 of the side member 30; one arm 85 which iiiclines co-act with the lower arm of of the lever 45 is pivoted te a link 46, Fig, the lever 24. By these means., when the tray 4, which latter is pivoted to a downwardly arrives at either end of its travel, the endextending part of the jaw 44, and the other less bands 10 will receive motion and change arm of thebell Crank lever 45 extends upthe position of the birds in the tray. ward and carries a bowl or runner 47 which 9o Beneatlrthe tray and loosely mounted on engages a grooved cam 48, Fig. 4, fixed on the main shaft 11 is a frame, consisting of the main shaft 11, whereby the jaw '44 is two side members 29 and 30 connected toopened and closed relativelyA Vto the upper gether by cross stays, and also having two edge 0f the tubular member 32 to grip 30 @FOSS beIS 31, Fig 4, eXteIlClIlg between and release the feathers at proper times. 95

them. In between the side members 29 and -The machine Operates as f0110WS y 30 is pivoted the'plucking device comprisvThe body or bodies of the birds to be ing van open-ended tubular member 32 haV plucked are placed. in the tray when it is ing side extensions pivoted at 33, F 1g 4, atone end of its travel, so that'4 the body between the Side members 29 and 305 and of abird so placed will be supported against :leo

the lower end of the tubular member 32 any downward pull by the two lower rolle-rs is connected by a flexible tube`34 to an open- 9 of the tray, while the lower part of the body ing 35 in the topn of the box 1. The opening of the bird may slightly protrude below the 35 communicates with the open top of a bag axes of the lower rollers 9, Y 36, Fig. 2, through the material o f which air The main Shaft 11 kbeing driven through `1o5 can pass, and the box is formed with an Opelithe medium of the pulley 12, the tray carrying 37 communicatlngwl'th a 8110131011 fell 38 ing the birds will be traversed at the requiiXefl t0 the SldB 0f the bOX allddllvell by any site Speed, and as the body 0f a, bird passes convenient means, such as a belt 39 from the over the @regg bars 31, Fig, 1, Ofthe frame Y4,5 main shaft 11. comprising the side members 29 and ,30, 110

YM'lhetubiilarnieniberef32-has a downward tlbplueking k device will be advanced upezgtension, indlcated at Flg- 1 t0 Which 1S ward between the cross bars 31 with its jawY pivoted the end of an eccentric rod 40, the 44 open, and the lsuction produced by the eccentric b eing fixed 0n the mam Shaft '115 fan 38 will draw the feathers of the birdl 5orand'by which means the tubular member 32 into the open mouth of the pluckingY de- 115 reelVeS roeklllg IDO'IOIIS 23001113 ltS pl-VOC 33 vice, the plucking device being so advanced so that the upper end of the tubular me1 I1-' upward land its jaw opened,`by the. operaber 32 is causedl to rise and falli intermittion of the connecting rod 40 of the ecce'ntently between they cross bars 31. tric,- Fig. 1,' and by the In order to 4support the frame composed cam 48 rocking th/egllfer ever 5. 1120 of thefside/inembers 29- and .30 and which YThe'feathersv aving been so drawn in by carries the tubular member 32 just described,V the suction of air between the open mouth ef 'the side, member 3Q, shown at Fig. 1, has the plucking device and the jaw 44, the said a downward extension 41 from which a latjawn 44 is/,closedY on to the upper edge of the eral lug extends, through which lug a bidtY tubular member .32, vand the: feathers so 125 442, Fig. 1, freely 'passes ainl, bears Aagainst a seized are plucked from the bird by the folspring c arried by said belt; the latter bolt 42 lowing 'descent of the plucking device, and being pivoted to one of the standards 2, so upon such desent taking place the jaw 44 that theJ frame can rock about the axis of `'is opened and the feathers so plucked are the main shaft 11 against the action of the drawn by the suction device into the bag-130 of the-birds lie,

the-inner lengths 36, and these "operations ofthe plucking'device are repeated as the body of the birdis traversed by the tray over the plucking dev1ce.

Upon the tray reaching the end. of its travel, one of the stop .pieces on:the tappet -rod 25, Fig. 5, contacts with the fixed lug 26 on the standard 2, and the rod is moved endwise relatively to the tray, and consequentlythe lever 24, Fig. 2, is rocked, and

vthe ratchet mechamsm 23 operated, sothat' all the endless bands 10, forming the sides -of the tray and against .which the 'bodies receive a limited motion, of the bands on one side of vthe. tray moving in a downward direc- A an unplucked part of grrooved wheels 'the Crank 16, Fig. l, connecting rod 15, up-

`tion, and the inner lengths'of the bands on the other side of the tray moving in an 'upward direction;

thereby the bodies of the blrds are adjusted in ca rotary -mannerv standing arm 14, and link 13,fa'nd the pluckand at -endless bandsV through thetappet rod, 25, Fig. '5, and anplucked.

What-I'claim as my invention and desire ft'o secure by Letters Patent is .l 1.? Ina machine for .from birds, thecomb-ination with suitable framework and carried by said base toexpo'se ing of the birds proceeds as previously. del scribed, as each bird passes over the plucking device particularly described at Fig. 4, the end yof the travel of the tray the 10 again receive motion other portion of the bodies of the birds is lbrought -into position to be operated upon by the plucking-device during the next traverse of-` the tray. 'In this manner the position Vof the` birds is automatically changed at'the vend of each travel of the tray until -the entire surfaces ofthe bodies of the birds `have* been brought under the action of the suction brought .about by bywhich vthe wholelof/fthe feathers `are operating mechanism, a tray framework havingV an open parts of the bodies of birds placed, therein meansA for automatically .traversing said trayibackward and forward fonjsaidl framewor .and for changing the position of the' birds insai'd tray, a; plucking d evice adapted to pluck the feathersv ofthe birds exposed thro'ughthe open base of said A'tray and means for removing and securing the feathers so plucked.

2.'v In a machine for from birds, the combination` of a4 framework, atray carriedby. said framework said tray, having inclined sides andan open base, revoluble rollers locatedat. the sides vof said supporting the plucking the feathers' plucking the feathers for rocking said gripplng from birds, the comblnation with suitable` framework and operating mechanism, a tray adapted to automatically expose different portions of the birds therein to plucking, a plucking device comprising a pivoted tubular part, gripping members withinsa'id tu? part, means for automatically rockingbular said tubular part to' andaway from theexposed portions of the birds, means for automatically opening said gripping members 'upon approaching thel birds closing said gripping members when nearest the birds and -for reopening same after withdrawal from the birds, together with pneumatlc 4means for drawing the feathers into said tubular part between the said gripping members and` for carrying away theplucked feathers.

4. .In a machine for pluckig the feathersA from birds, the combinatlon of means for birds, a plucking device comprising a tubular member open at its upper end, means for` pivotally supporting said tubular member, a gripping jaw pivoted to.

said tubular member adapted to coact with an upper edge thereof, an air suction device adapted to draw the feathers to be plucked into the open mouth of said tubular mem# the fan 38 andv b under the action of the plucking device, and

er, means for communicating a rocking motion to saidtubular member adapted'to bring the `mouth Lof same to and away from the bodies of the birds, means for automatically opening and closing said gripping parts'by means of said pivoted gripping jaw at proper times. to permit the feathers sucked into said tubular partbetween said gripping parts to be seized thereby, held during the withdrawal vthereof and subsequently released, together with suitable means for removing 'and securingthe plucked feathers.

5. A. machine for plucking the feathers of birds; comprising in combination'a framework, a tray carried by said framework, said tray having an open base to expose the thereln, means 'for traverslng said tray backward and forward on said framework, a

bands at the end. of tray to changc'the po,

pluckingdevice carried by said framework and located beneath the open base of 'said tray,- said plucking device opposed pivoted gripping members upward comprising two members, means and opening same to receive the feathers to be plucked, for closing said gripping members to grip said feathers and for lowering said gripping members to pluck said feathers, and an air suction fan to suck air through said gripping members to draw the feathers to be plucked into the grip of same and when plucked to carry away" said feathers.

6. In a machine for plucking the feathers of birds; the combination of a framework,

a tray carried by said framework said tray having an open base to expose the lower Y' vpart of the bodies of the birds placed therein, means for traversing said tray backward and forward on said framework, a plucking device located beneaththe open base of -`said tray, said plucking device comprising a tu bular member open at its upper end, means for pivotally carrying said tubular member from said framework, a gripping jawpivoted to said tubular member and adapt-ed to coact with the upper edge thereof toburipand release the feathers, an air suctlon device, a flexible tubular extension connecting the lower end of said tubular member with said suction device to draw the feathers to be plucked into the mouth of said tubular member and when plucked to carry samedown said tubular member, a receptacle to receivepthe plucked feathers, means for communicating rising and falling movements to said tubular member to bring the mouth of same to and away from thebodies of the birds, means for opening and closing the gripping jaw at proper times'to permit the feathers sucked within the mouth -of said jaw and said tubular member to bel seized and heid duringA the @lacking Operation and subsequently released.

of birds; the combination of a framework, a tray carried Iby said framework, means for traversing said tray backward and for ward on said framework, said tray having inclined sides to support the bodies of the birdsplaced therein and an open base to expose the lower parts of said bodies 'of said birds, revoluble rollers located at the sides of said tray, endless bands passing over said rollers and against which bands the bodies of the birds rest, means for giving motion to said bands at the termination of each traverse of said tray to change the positions oflsaid 'birdsin said tray, a plucking device carried -by said framework 'and located beneath the open base of said tray, said plucking device comprising two opposed pivoted' gripping members, means for rocking said gripping members upward and opening same to receive the feathers to be plucked, for closing said gripping members to grip said feathers and for lowering said gripping members to pluck said feathers, `and an air suction fan to suck said gripping members to draw the feathers to be plucked into the grip of same and when plucked and released by said gripping members to carry away said feathers.

A In witness whereof'I have hereunto set my hand. in the presence of two witnesses.

REGINA@ GEORGE Micriirasor.

Witnesses:

JOHNJOWETT, CYRIL BE'LnAMY,

air through 7. In a machine for plucking the feathers 

